Secreats Revealed
by Star Mystery Writer
Summary: An innocent, dying from a demon attack, tells the Charmed Ones a secret she's been harboring for years. The secret leaves the sisters playing guardian to an eight year old girl.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed.  
  
A/N: I have about 5 fics in the process of being worked on. I'm still doing them, but I've started this one, as well. If I don't get enough review, I won't post more. So review! And enjoy [ PS: Please, please please go and check out my other new fic 'Magic Through the Ages' and review! Please!! ]  
  
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Phoebe Halliwell collapsed onto the couch with her sisters, Piper and Paige. It had been a long day and an even longer night. Much was happening and she hadn't sat down until now, none of them had.  
  
"Eight at night and I'm just getting off my feet," Piper complained. "I couldn't even come home for lunch today because they needed me at the club all day. What would those idiots do if I went on vacation for a week? They'd barely make it a day!"  
  
Paige played with Piper's long brown hair, wondering if she wanted to dye hers again, which had already been every color of the rainbow and was cherry red as of now. "Don't complain. The club is doing great and business is booming."  
  
Piper shrugged. "I guess you're right . . . I hate when you're right."  
  
Paige simply smiled.  
  
"You two have it lucky. All those demon attacks we had today – three, right? – gave me one hell of a headache. Between the premonitions and the empathy, I'm lucky to still have a head!"  
  
"Well, we're done for the night. Let's just sit and watch TV and crap out until tomorrow when we have to do today all over again," Piper suggested.  
  
"Good idea. I'll go get the popcorn!" Phoebe said, standing up and heading for the kitchen. She was halfway there when she absentmindedly touched a porcelain doll on an oak table. She gasped, went rigid, and nearly fell over as a vision hit her. It went as suddenly as it came, leaving a blinding throb in her temple. Shaking, she screamed for her sisters, quickly going back to them.  
  
"What is it?" Paige asked, standing up. Piper followed suite.  
  
"No," Phoebe said, a hint of urgency in her voice. "Don't get comfy yet. We still have work to do."  
  
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Piper stopped her Jeep outside a particularly dark alley. The three sisters clambered out of the car and Piper locked it. They stared around; this was one of the 'bad' parts of town. Though, in a city where demons, warlocks, and everything nasty roamed around in the shadows, 'bad' parts of town ended up seeming good.  
  
"Are you sure it's this one?" Paige asked, shivering in the cold chill of the night.  
  
"Positive. Come on we have to hurry. She was really beaten up in my vision already and it took a long time to get here," Phoebe replied, hurrying to and down the alley. Piper and Paige followed.  
  
"No! Stop it-please, stop it!" A woman's shriek could be heard saying.  
  
The sisters upped their pace and hurried forward. A young woman – maybe in her early twenties – was lying helplessly on the ground, an ugly demon hovering over her with a dagger in its ugly, scabby hands.  
  
"Hey!" Piper shouted, throwing her arms up to freeze the demon – which didn't freeze. "Uh-oh . . ."  
  
The demon, which had scaly green skin, sharp-yellowed teeth, and small beady red eyes, hissed at the sisters. It plunged the dagger into the woman's chest.  
  
Piper threw her hand up to blow the demon to bits. It worked this time and he screamed in agony.  
  
"Oh god," Phoebe murmured, running to the woman. She heard Paige and Piper following, Piper screaming for Leo. Phoebe knelt beside the banged up and bleeding innocent. "It's okay. It will be okay. Just hang in there," she said soothingly.  
  
The woman shook her head. "N-no. It's too late for me. I knew this d-day would come . . . knew t-they'd come after me and kill me. I knew I was risking my life by h-harboring The Secret. But I d-did. Before I d-die, I must tell you something and p-please listen carefully. I don't have l- long."  
  
"LEO!" Piper tried again, gritting her teeth as she watched Phoebe and the woman.  
  
The woman grabbed Phoebe's hand and held tightly. Phoebe gasped, not because it hurt but because the woman had shocked her. It felt more like a tiny pinprick than a shock, though.  
  
"My d-daughter . . . she's home alone and she's only eight. She doesn't have anyone t-to watch her. No father and no other living relatives. Katrina, my dear Katrina," the woman paused. "I've been harboring a-a secret for many years a-and someone else needs t-to know it b-before I'm gone or m-my death will have b-been for n-nothing, all I've done will have b-been for nothing."  
  
With all the energy she could muster, fighting to stay alive long enough to tell them everything she could, the woman – they later learned her name was Marianna – told them the secret she had been carefully protecting for years. The moment she finished, her eyes widened. She gasped, gripped Phoebe's hand tightly, and fell limp.  
  
She was gone.  
  
The sister's stared in shock at Marianna's lifeless body. They remained silent and unmoving for a long time. Finally, Phoebe took her hand out of Marianna's and placed it down gently. She stood, looking to her sisters with tears in her eyes.  
  
"Let's go," she said in barely a whisper.  
  
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It had begun to pour. The rain came down as if someone was pouring bucket loads of it. Completely soaked, the sisters knocked for what seemed like the tenth time.  
  
"This is ridiculous," Piper grumbled. "Ow!" she cried, narrowing her eyes at Phoebe, who had hit her arm.  
  
"Stop it. We have a job to do and-" Phoebe began, but stopped when the door opened a crack.  
  
A little blonde girl peeked out at them, looking scared and nervous. She looked ready to slam the door.  
  
"Katrina?" Phoebe asked gently. She smiled. "Hi. I'm Phoebe and these are my sisters, Piper and Paige."  
  
Katrina stared at them silently.  
  
"Your mom sent us. She – uh – got kind of busy and she wants us to take you to our house to watch you," Phoebe continued.  
  
"Mommy said never to talk to strangers," Katrina said in a hushed tone.  
  
Phoebe fished out a gold bracelet and held it out to Katrina. "She gave us this. She said she wanted you to have it."  
  
Katrina eyes the bracelet then opened the door more. "Where is she?"  
  
"She had some business to take care of, honey. She told us to take you with us; she didn't want you staying here alone," Piper informed the little girl.  
  
"I need to get Mr. Puppy," Katrina said.  
  
"Okay. I'll come with you and we can pack a bag of stuff for you. Your mom wasn't sure how long she'd be gone. Then we'll go to our house, okay?" Phoebe said, stepping inside.  
  
She and Katrina went upstairs and gathered some stuff. When they came down, Phoebe put a tiny purple raincoat on her so she wouldn't get soaked, then they went to the car and drove back to the Manor.  
  
Inside, they pulled off their coats. Phoebe helped Katrina out of her raincoat.  
  
"Piper can make you some chicken soup to warm you up and after, I'll set up a hot bath. You can sleep in my bed for the night. I'll take the floor," Phoebe told Katrina."  
  
Leo came walking out of the living room, looking wary and tired. He glanced at Katrina, then the sisters. "We need to talk."  
  
"Katrina, why don't you go have a seat in the living room?" Phoebe said, pointing the way. Katrina walked off.  
  
"What's up?" Piper asked her husband, not liking this at all.  
  
"You can't keep her here," Leo said bluntly.  
  
"Uh, excuse me – what?" Paige asked, blinking. "She has nowhere else to go, Leo. She's a little girl with no family. Her mom was killed by a demon. Of course she's staying here."  
  
Leo shook his head. "She can't. The Elders have just told me-"  
  
"Screw the Elders. Leo, she's staying. Deal with it or find somewhere else to sleep tonight," Piper said, stomping off to the kitchen.  
  
Paige followed Piper and Phoebe went to get Katrina. Leo sighed and, a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, orbed out.


	2. Secrets Revealed Chapter Two

A/N: Okay . . . chapter two. Three hasn't been written yet because I've only got one review for chapter one. And that sucks. Am I to believe that only one person read my fic? So here's the deal. I know I've said before that I won't keep posting if I don't get reviews, but that didn't work. So this time . . . If I don't get some reviews, I'm going to stop posting chapters. I have 5 fics [ maybe 6 ] in the works and it would be a shame to just stop, but I will. I might even delete some of the stories of fanfic, like "A Life Saved, A Destiny Changed" and "Magic Through the Ages" and even this one. Bottom line?: **Review or I will stop posting chapters and I will delete some off the fics of fanfic.**  
  
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Phoebe convinced Katrina to have some soup and take a bath. She then went to the attic and rummaged through the boxes. It took ages, but she found some of Prue's old clothes when she was little and took them down to her room where Katrina would be sleeping. She helped her change into the pajamas and tucked her into bed.  
  
"I want my mommy. When will she come back?" Katrina asked with a puppy pout, a look of loneliness lingering in her sky blue eyes.  
  
"I don't know, sweetie," Phoebe replied, brushing stray blonde hair from the little girls face. "But you're safe here, okay? Nothing can hurt you as long as you're in this house with my sisters and I. I promise."  
  
Katrina nodded, still looking sad and lonely.  
  
"You know what?" Phoebe stood and went to her closet. She opened the door and looked around inside. It only took a minute to find what she was looking for. She went back to Katrina and held out a very old, very tattered stuffed brown dog. "This was my favorite stuffed animal when I was your age."  
  
Hesitating at first, Katrina took the stuffed dog and held it tightly and close.  
  
Phoebe kissed Katrina on the forehead. "My sisters and I will be downstairs if you need us. Just scream and we'll be here faster than you can blink. Sleep well." She walked to the door, shut the light, and left, closing the door halfway.  
  
Downstairs, Piper and Paige were sitting on the couch talking. When Phoebe came in, they stopped.  
  
"Hey. How's she doing?" Piper asked.  
  
Phoebe shrugged. "Okay but she wants her mom. She won't stop asking for her and we can't keep lying to her."  
  
"We have to for now. What Marianna told us was major, way too much for an eight year old to deal with," Paige said.  
  
"Yeah." Phoebe sat down across from them. "So, what were you guys talking about?"  
  
"Leo," Piper replied. "We can't imagine why he didn't want Katrina to stay here, why They wouldn't want her here."  
  
"Unless Marianna didn't tell us everything," Paige added.  
  
"Well, nothing we can do about it now. Katrina has nowhere else to go and I promised her she'd be safe as long as she was with us. We can't just dump her at an orphanage," Phoebe told them.  
  
"We know that. Besides, you got that vision of Marianna for a reason. We're supposed to be watching over Katrina for now," Piper said with a slight sigh. "I just don't know what we can do to help her."  
  
Phoebe was about to reply when Leo orbed in.  
  
"Hi," Piper greeted, her tone slightly agitated. "Come to tell us we have to throw an innocent little girl onto the street again?"  
  
"No. Come to tell you that she can't stay here," Leo replied, crossing his arms. "The Elders told me-"  
  
"Do I need to repeat myself? Screw the Elders. Phoebe got that vision for a reason. We're supposed to take care of Katrina and that's that," Piper interrupted him.  
  
Paige nodded. "Besides, you don't know what Marianna told us. Not even the Elders could know what she told us unless they know what she was."  
  
"They did know . . . do know. And they told me, too. They also told me something that Marianna probably didn't mention. I'm sure she didn't tell you-"  
  
A high, shrill scream of "PHOEBE HELP!" made Leo cut off.  
  
"Katrina," Phoebe whispered, standing quickly and running to the steps and up to the second floor. She could hear her sisters following behind her, but they hadn't even reached the steps yet and she was already pushing her door open.  
  
Katrina shrieked again, kicking at an ugly demon – one identical to the one that killed Marianna – holding her around the middle.  
  
"Phoebe help!" Katrina cried, tears flowing down her face.  
  
"Let her go!" Phoebe cried, running at the demon and levitating, kicking him in the face. The demon roared and swiped at her, sending her backwards. She hit the wall and blacked out.

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"Phoebe, wake up. Phoebe . . . honey, wake up."  
  
Phoebe groaned, her eyes slowly opening. She was still slumped on the ground. Her sisters and Leo were standing around her, each looking very concerned.  
  
"Katrina . . . where's Katrina? That demon-"  
  
"He took her, Phoebe. I'm sorry," Paige mumbled.  
  
Phoebe shook her head, standing so abruptly, her sisters and brother- in-law jumped back. "No. He-she . . . I promised her she was safe here! I promised her that as long as we were around, she'd be okay!"  
  
"There's nothing more you could have done, Phoebe," Piper said soothingly.  
  
"I could have done more!" Phoebe insisted. She had a pained expression. "I could have saved her from that demon. I let her down."


	3. Secrets Revealed Chapter Three

A/N: Chapter Three! I was so happy to get the three reviews that I received today.  
  
Thank you to the following: DrewFan4Life, Magical Princess, Stranded Stargazer, God'sWittleServant, and Anonymous ...for reviewing.  
  
So the same deal still holds. If I don't get some reviews, I'm going to stop posting chapters. Like I said yesterday, I have 5 fics [maybe 6] in the works and it would be a shame to just stop, but I will. I might even delete some of the stories off fanfic, like "A Life Saved, A Destiny Changed" and "Magic Through the Ages" and even this one. Bottom line? **Review or I will stop posting chapters and I will delete some of the fics off fanfic.**

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"Phoebe, stop blaming yourself," Piper said gently, turning away from the map and the crystal she was dangling over it – an attempt to scry for the demon or for Katrina herself.  
  
Phoebe sat on the couch in the living room, her legs tucked up under her. Tears glistened in her eyes and ran down her cheeks, causing her mascara to run. She didn't look at Piper and didn't respond. For some reason, she felt truly responsible for Katrina's disappearance. She felt like she had lost one of her sisters and she couldn't understand why she felt so strongly about a girl she had known for no more than a couple of hours. She didn't know how they were going to rescue Katrina. She didn't know what had happened to her and if she was okay. She didn't know if she was even still alive. Phoebe knew only one thing – she had let Katrina down.  
  
"Potions ready."  
  
Phoebe looked up to see Paige enter the living room with a handful of vials, containing potions of every color. Each had a little white label on it. Phoebe blinked, then looked back down at the ground.  
  
"Great, thanks," Piper replied, staring intently at the map of San Francisco. "Now all I need to do is find where those scumbags took her."  
  
"You okay, Pheebs?" Paige asked, walking over and sitting beside her sister.  
  
Once again, Phoebe did not reply nor did she look at Paige. She remained lost in her jumbled sea of thoughts, praying that Katrina was safe; that whatever the demons were going to do had not started yet. She prayed they needed Katrina alive for a while, long enough so that she and her sisters could rescue the little girl.  
  
Paige stood and walked to Piper, sitting beside her. In a low voice, she said, "Phoebe's really broken up about this. I know Katrina's a little girl and an innocent, but I can't help but remember what Marianna told us, too."  
  
"I know Paige," Piper replied grimly. "But Katrina doesn't know what Marianna told us. What's going to happen won't happen if we can get to her in time, save her, and bind the powers she's meant to receive. If we can bind them until she's older and knows how to use them and can decide for herself how she wants to use them, then we won't have anything to worry about."  
  
"How can you be so calm?" Paige grumbled, leaning back. "If those demons succeed in getting Katrina to-"  
  
Piper interrupted her, "Don't think that way. If you think badly, bad things will happen. How do you think I've managed being a witch so far? I might always say that we're doomed, but I'm also always thinking to myself that, in the end, good will defeat evil and we'll save the world like we do every week. Besides, Phoebe is panicked enough for all of us. Someone has to stay level-headed and calm and that person is usually the eldest sister."  
  
Paige frowned. "Glad I'm not the eldest – no offense."  
  
Piper pursed her lips, staring at the map. She didn't like being the eldest, either. It hadn't exactly been her dream come true when Prue had died and she had stepped into the strange role, with it's many responsibilities. Matters didn't improve when, on the day of Prue's funeral, Paige had entered their lives to reconstitute the Power of Three. Although Piper got along with Paige and loved her, she was no replacement for the big sister Piper had known her entire life. No one could replace Prue and every day, Piper blamed herself for her sister's death, cursing Leo for saving her and not Prue. But Piper kept these thoughts hidden within her. She had not uttered one word of it to anyone. It was silly to dwell on the past, though it would take more than three years to move on.  
  
"Piper, what's wrong?" Paige asked, ripping Piper from her thoughts.  
  
"What? Nothing. Nothing's wrong," Piper said quickly, looking up from the map.  
  
"Are you sure? You looked ready to cry or something," Paige replied.  
  
Piper opened her mouth to reply but shut it. "Can you take over scrying for me?" she asked finally, standing and dropping the crystal without giving Paige a chance to reply. "I need to go – go do something." Without another word, she stood and left the living room, making her way up the steps, down the hall, and to her bedroom. She closed the door and sat down on her bed. She sighed a little, trying to keep her tears at bay as she opened her nightstand drawer and pulled out – from under many other things – a picture of Prue, Phoebe, and herself – taken just a year before Prue's death – at P3.  
  
Unable to contain herself anymore, Piper lay down, buried her head in her pillow, and, clutching the picture close to her, sobbed into her pillow.

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Paige stole a glance at Phoebe. The middle Halliwell hadn't moved or made a sound in almost an hour. Sighing, Paige went back to scrying. She had tried several times to tell Phoebe it wasn't her fault, but Phoebe had ignored her – or chosen not to reply. She was deep in her own thoughts and nothing seemed able to pull her out. Their only hope now was to find Katrina and rescue her before anything truly bad happened.  
  
Frustrated, Paige turned back to the map and muttered a spell:  
  
"Searching for a little girl for hours.  
This scrying seems pointless.  
Halliwell witches, lend me your powers.  
Help me locate her in this time of distress."  
  
Paige winced at how immensely pathetic the spell was. Off the top of her head, however, and in the spur of the moment, it was the best she could come up with. She gasped in surprise as the crystal gave a sharp tug, spun faster, and fell on a location on the map.  
  
"Oh . . . wow. It worked!" she whispered breathlessly. She noted the location and looked up, grinning. "Phoebe, I found her! I found Katrina!"


	4. Secrets Revealed Chapter Four

A/N: Wow. I'm getting some great feedback! I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this fic. I'd like to thank those who reviewed today:

**Capricorn Lamia:** Thank you so much for reminding me that as long as someone wants to read it, no matter how big or small the number, I should still continue. And that, as long as it's being read that's all that matters.

**ERG:** I'm really glad you're enjoying the fic! Thanks for reviewing!

**CharmedFreak:** Lol. Funny review! You kinda lost me, though . . . Enjoying it or not? Lol. Thanks for the review!

**Charmedsisters:** No need to beg! Here's chapter four [below] and chapter five is on its way!  
  
So the same deal still holds, though, despite the reviews – only because I'm afraid people will stop reviewing if I stop posting the deal. Lol. So, you guys know the deal by now: If I don't get some reviews, I'm going to stop posting chapters. Bottom line? **Review or I will stop posting chapters and I will delete some of the fics off fanfic.**  
  
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Phoebe nearly fell off the couch as she turned to look at her sister. "What? Where?"  
  
"Down by Golden Gate Bridge, near the water. We need to hurry. Go get Piper," Paige replied.  
  
Phoebe nodded and tripped over her own two feet as she dashed out of the room and up to get Piper. She knocked, hard and loud, on Piper's closed door but got no response. Impatient as it were, she knocked again. No answer. Sighing, she called out Piper's name.  
  
"Piper!" When she got no answer, Phoebe pressed her ear to the door and heard soft, muffled sobs on the other side. Frowning and worried, she pushed the door open and saw Piper on her bed, crying with her head buried in her pillow and a photo clutched in her hands. But what the photo was, Phoebe couldn't see because the picture side was pressed against Piper's stomach.  
  
"Piper?" Phoebe said softly, walking over with cautious steps. "What's wrong?" She sat beside Piper on the bed and gently slipped the picture from her grasp, then turned it over and examined it, frowning more.  
  
"I-I miss her, Phoebe," Piper sobbed into the pillow. "I know it's been three years, but I miss her so much and I-I'm thinking about h-her a lot lately and-"  
  
"Shh, it's okay. I miss her, too, sweetie. But Prue wouldn't want us to slack off right now. We need to find Katrina and Paige thinks she has. So come on, dry those eyes and let's go. We have an innocent to save," Phoebe replied, stroking Piper's hair.  
  
"Fine," Piper mumbled, slowly sitting up and drying her red eyes.  
  
Phoebe let Piper back down to Paige, who had orbed the Book of Shadows onto her lap and was flipping through it.  
  
"What are you looking for?" Phoebe asked, very anxious to go rescue Katrina, causing her much impatience as she stared at Paige, sitting on the couch.  
  
"Well . . . I don't know, honestly," Paige admitted truthfully. "You said the same demon you saw in your premonition was the one that took Katrina right?"  
  
"Right," Phoebe replied."  
  
"So, I'm trying to find the demon to see if there's a spell to vanquish its sorry ass. We have the potions, but we might need the spell for back up," Paige stated.  
  
Piper crossed her arms and remained silent for a moment before saying, "And if you don't find a spell? What if the demon isn't in the Book? We can't go running off to save Katrina if we don't know what we're going up against."  
  
"We have to," Phoebe argued. "We can't leave that poor little girl in the hands of a demon, Piper. Don't forget what-"  
  
"-Marianna said," Piper interrupted. "I know! But maybe Katrina's meant to-"  
  
"Don't say it, Piper," Phoebe warned. "We're going to rescue Katrina, whether we have a spell and potion or not."  
  
Piper sighed. "Well, fine. If you want to go face a demon that kicked your ass last time, go right ahead. Maybe he'll kick you harder this time and knock some sense into you."  
  
Paige stopped flipping and looked up. "What's up with you?" she asked Piper. "This is an innocent we're talking about. We know what Marianna said and we know it's dangerous, not knowing all the details. But it's our job. We save innocents and protect the world."  
  
"Yeah well our 'job' cost us Prue three years ago and I don't want that to happen again. I've had enough of funerals in the past six years, since becoming witch, a to last me a lifetime and I don't want to loose another sister," Piper snapped.  
  
The room fell silent. Phoebe and Paige exchanged uneasy glances as Piper fought to keep her tears at bay. No one could argue with the fact that Piper had made a very good point. Maybe Katrina's destiny was set in stone. Maybe they weren't meant to rescue her. Each thought back to what Marianna had said; I'm not Katrina's real mother. Her real mother gave Katrina to me to protect, as she grew older. I knew what she'd become but I cared for her, anyway, knowing that my efforts might fail."  
  
"Well, we have to try," Phoebe insisted still, breaking the silence. "I promised her she was safe as long as we were around. She doesn't know what she is, what she'll become. We have to save her."  
  
Piper glanced at Phoebe with sad eyes. "Fine. I just hope I don't end up loosing another sister."  
  
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Leo stood beside a tall white pillar, awaiting his meeting with two Elder Hierarchy. He needn't wait long, he realized, when two Elders approached him.  
  
"Leo," said the taller one, Tefferus. "Have you informed the Charmed Ones of the dangers in which protecting that girl will ensue?  
"I tried," Leo replied, "but the girls wouldn't listen. Marianna told them what she wanted them to know, which means she didn't tell them everything. But to the girls, Katrina is a little girl with no idea of what she is or what she's destined to do. They feel that they can rescue her and save her from the future already planned for her."  
  
The shorter Elder, Articus, frowned. "The girls need to know the rest of the story, Leo. They cannot go into a battle blind."  
  
"I know that. But how do I get them to listen?" Leo asked.  
  
"You must tell them, Leo, in whatever way you know is best. Set them down and force them to listen, if you must," Tefferus replied.  
  
Leo sighed and nodded, then dismissed himself and orbed back to the Manor just as the sisters were preparing to leave. He blocked the front door.  
  
"Leo, move," Phoebe said. "We've told you twice, you and The Elders can't stop us from saving Katrina."  
  
"You have to listen to me. I know you want to save her but you have to listen to me!" Leo insisted. "It's for your own good. You need to know the whole story before you go out and risk your lives."  
  
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige looked at each other, then at Leo.  
  
"Living room, now. Make it snappy," Piper said, leading the way back to the room they had just come from.  
  
Piper, Phoebe, and Paige stood by the couch, facing Leo who stood in the doorway.  
  
"Tell me everything Marianna told you," Leo said.  
  
Quickly, not skipping any detail, they filled Leo in on what they knew.  
  
Leo sighed, shaking his head. "She left out a lot. There's more to Marianna and Katrina than meets the eye – more than Marianna let on, at least. You need to know the whole truth before you go off."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Leo began to fill the sisters in on what Marianna had 'forgotten' to tell them.


	5. Secrets Revealed Chapter Five

A/N: Wow! I can't believe the feedback I'm getting! So first, I'd like to acknowledge the readers who reviewed yesterday and today [ and bear with me, it's kinda long! ] :  
  
**JanaRose:** Thanks! I'm glad you enjoy the fic!  
  
**Winter Blaze:** See, I'm sure everyone is wondering what the secret is! I'm still working out all the details to that myself! Lol. Plus, it's more fun to hold out on something like that for as long as possible. Keeps people guessing and keeps them wanting more! So, try to be patient; in the end, it's worth it!  
  
**Chub:** Glad you like the Piper stuff. I'm not really sure why I decided to write what I did with her. It just happened along, but I'll keep it up if you enjoyed it!  
  
**soccerstar11-5:** Wow! Lol. I'm so glad you like my fanfics that much! Lol. Don't worry; I'm not going to give up on my readers or fanfic. I've realized that it doesn't matter how many people read it. It matters if the people reading it enjoy it!  
  
**mysterywriterisrude:** Meow yourself. If the only reason you R&R'd is to tell me I'm mean, please refrain from reviewing in the future, unless it's to say something nicer. I don't mind constructive criticism, but that's when it comes to my stories. If I came off mean, I'm sorry and I never intended for it to seem that way. I respect my readers, one of the reasons I have been thanking each individually when I submit a new chapter, and I would never intentionally be mean or, as your 'name' says, rude. I apologize for my 'meanness' to you and to any other reader who felt that way.  
  
Okay, on with the fic, as that's everyone who reviewed! I'm sorry it's taking so long to get the chapters up. I've been writing each chapter one at a time, instead of two or three at a time. The hardest part is keeping the secret a – well – secret and trying to write around it without making it sound cheesy. Lol. So, please read and review!!! I'm not going to put the 'deal' because I don't think I need to and I wouldn't want mysterywriterisrude to call me a meanie again, especially since my intention was not to be rude or mean.  
  
On with the fic, before you get bored with me and decide not to read on!

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After Leo finished speaking, the room was silent. Marianna, the sisters realized, really hadn't told them everything! In fact, compared to what Leo had said, she had told them near to nothing.  
  
"I can't believe Marianna didn't tell us that stuff," Paige mumbled.  
  
"She probably knew we wouldn't help if we knew," Piper commented.  
  
Phoebe shut her eyes for a moment, trying to process everything. She opened them after a moment and stared at everyone in the room. "That doesn't change anything, though. We still need to help Katrina. We have to save her; she's just a little girl."  
  
"Phoebe, I don't know if we should, or even can." Piper brushed loose hair away from her face, mostly to stall while she thought of a good reason why they couldn't go gallivanting off to save Katrina – a reason that wouldn't end in a WWF Smack down. "She might just be a little girl, but-" she cut off, truly at a lose for words.  
  
"I think," Leo said, "what Piper is trying to say is, you three can't go risking your lives, trying to save someone who can't be saved. Like it or not, Katrina is lost cause."  
  
Anger flashed in Phoebe's eyes. "No. I won't believe that. She's young and she doesn't know what she's meant to do or be yet. We can get her back, erase any memories she has from being with those demons, and bind her powers so she can't hurt anyone, including herself. I won't believe she's a lost cause!"  
  
"Erasing memories isn't a game, Phoebe. It can be dangerous. You could erase more than just the memories you want gone," Leo reminded her.  
  
"Does it look like I care?" Phoebe snapped, her temper rising. "Our destiny is to protect the innocent. Like it or not, believe it or not, Katrina is an innocent – our innocent. We can't just let that poor, frightened little girl remain with those demons who are doing god-knows- what to her. She's probably scared out of her mind right now, wondering what's going on and why we haven't rescued her. I promised her she was safe with me and I'll be damned it I break that promise more than I already have."  
  
The fierceness in Phoebe's voice hushed the room again. No one knew what to say or what to do next. Phoebe had made good points, but those good points couldn't reverse what Leo had told them that Marianna hadn't.  
  
**::Flashback::**

_Taking a deep breath, Leo began to fill the sisters in on what Marianna had 'forgotten' to tell them.  
  
"Marianna probably told you who and what she was. She told you, I'm assuming, what Katrina was and the secret she had been concealing since Katrina had been born. But I'm sure she didn't tell you a lot of what I'm about to say."_  
  
_Leo sighed. "Marianna is a Secret-Keeper. Her mother was one; her mother's mother, and her mother's mother's mother were as well. People can go to a Secret-Keeper and poor out their deepest, darkest, most well-kept secrets and know that the Secret-Keeper will not tell anyone else. One day, a young, fair-haired blonde girl came to Marianna's house with a small bundle. She informed Marianna that her daughter - Katrina – was very special and she needed to be protected. Marianna took Katrina to raise as her own. The girl told Marianna what made Katrina so special-"_  
  
**::End Flashback::**  
  
"Look, I know that Marianna pretty much lied to us. And I know what Katrina is and is meant to do. But she's just a little girl. We can't let her suffer just because of something she can't control or change," Phoebe said, or rather pleaded.  
  
Piper sighed, standing. "Fine. Phoebe's right. We can't just let Katrina suffer like this. Phoebe got that vision for a reason and it must mean we're meant to help Katrina. So, let's go."  
  
Standing, Paige nodded her agreement. Phoebe smiled boldly and stood. The three sisters turned to Leo, who looked very grim and uneasy.  
  
"Well, are you coming or staying?" Piper asked her husband.  
  
"I can't come. The Elder's aren't going to be pleased as it is," Leo replied.  
  
"Fine." Piper took Paige's left hand – Phoebe took Paige's right hand.  
  
With one last look at Leo, Paige orbed herself and her sisters out of the Manor and to a battle that they might or might not come back from.


	6. Secrets Revealed Chapter Six

A/N: Hey. First off, I'd like to thank the people who reviewed:  
  
**winter blaze:** Patience is a virtue And it just keeps getting' better – I hope.  
  
**PhoebeColelovers:** Glad you enjoy it!  
  
**CharmedGreak:** No worries. I'm glad you 'adore' my fics. Lol.  
  
Hope I didn't miss anyone!  
  
Okay, here's chapter six. So sorry it took so long; Bit of writers block and I'm still working out the finer details of Marianna and Katrina's secrets. Any idea or suggestions? Tell me in a review or e-mail me at **And please review!!!**

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Golden Gate Park seemed to be empty upon the sister's arrival. Paige had orbed them a little ways away from the bridge so they could observe what was going on in case Katrina was in trouble.  
  
"Okay, anyone feeling a little creped out?" Paige asked, looking around.  
  
Piper nodded. "Something is defiantly wrong with this picture."  
  
"Come on, we have to get to Katrina before those demons hurt her," Phoebe snapped, walking hurriedly towards the bridge. She could hear her sisters trying to catch up to her.  
  
Nearer to the water, Phoebe and her sisters paused behind a tree. They could see a group of ordinary looking people – who weren't ordinary people. A frightened Katrina was down on her knees, hands bound, in the wet grass, surrounded by the people.  
  
Phoebe sucked in a sharp gasp at this. "Oh no . . . we have to-" She paused as Katrina caught her gaze. The little girl opened her mouth to say something, but Phoebe shook her head and put a finger to her lips to hush her. Katrina's mouth clamped shut.  
  
"What do we do now?" Paige asked, clutching the vials of vanquishing potion.  
  
"Well . . . We orb over there, Piper freezes everything, we throw the potion and say the spell, and bring Katrina home safely," Phoebe replied.  
  
It was much easier said than done. They were able to orb in and surprise the demons disguised as humans. But after the shock wore off – which didn't take long – the 'people' shifted into demon form. Some stayed behind to surround and guard Katrina, who was now screaming for Phoebe. The rest attacked.  
  
It wasn't as easy as it had seemed to just simply freeze, throw, and read, either. Some of the demons seemed immune to Piper's freeze, while others froze for only a few seconds before unfreezing and attacking.  
  
Piper tried blowing them up, but some only flinched and stepped back. Others blew up, but came back together. They threw fireballs, which Paige orbed to her palm and back at the demons – but, as the girls couldn't use their powers on each other, the demon's powers would not work against them. Phoebe was in the middle of trying to kick and punch any demon that came close to her, but her attacks seemed useless, through and through.  
  
"Now what?" Piper grumbled, still attempting to blow the demons up.  
  
"We need to throw the potions and use the spell! It's our only hope!" Phoebe called.  
  
The three girls threw their potions at the demons. They huddled together and chanted:  
  
__

_"Evil demons, standing here_

_ No nothing but the pain you cause._

_At this spell, tremble with fear_

_And may you die, along with your flaws."_

Okay, so it was a little cheesy. But it was all they had. Except, it must have been cheesier than they thought. That, or these demons were immortal because – to their horror – nothing happened!  
  
"Okay . . . plan B!" Phoebe said, running forward, dodging the demons. She dropped beside Katrina. Quickly, she checked her over for any serious injuries. "Can you walk?"  
  
Katrina nodded, tears in her eyes.  
  
"Can you run?" Phoebe asked urgently, as four or so demons ran towards them.  
  
Katrina nodded again. Phoebe lifted her to her feet and they ran. At one point, Phoebe levitated them up and over three demons. She kept running, kept going-  
  
A demon grabbed Phoebe around the ankles and she felt. Katrina shrieked and tried to run to her, but Paige grabbed her back and held tightly. Piper ran forward, trying to freeze and blow up the damn demons. It wasn't much, but it stalled them long enough for her to reach Phoebe, drag her to her feet, and get her to safety beside Paige and Katrina.  
  
Katrina flung herself into Phoebe's arms. Piper placed her hand on Phoebe's arm and took Paige's hand. The last thing any of them saw was an army of about twelve demons, running at them. Seconds before the demons reached them, Paige orbed them out of harms way and back to the Manor. 


End file.
